Book talk.

Optimus Prime · Post by **Optimus Prime** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:28 pm

jay_a2j wrote:
Optimus Prime wrote:Hmmm....I didn't read every post, so I don't know if anybody already mentioned Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series, but it's one of my favorites.

Mormon Bible? Do you mean the Book of Mormon? What's wrong with that?

Um no...... the Bible. the Book of Mormon is a work of fiction.

Well, if you are referring to the "Bible" that the Mormon's use, it's a standard King James Version. As for the Book of Mormon, sorry, but it isn't fiction. :wink:

GrazingCattle · Post by **GrazingCattle** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 1:34 pm

Mathew Pearl's novel The Dante Club was a good read. I had to do it for school so i kinda hate it in certain ways. I poked some holes in it, but not bad for his first published novel!

Kugelblitz22 · Post by **Kugelblitz22** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:01 pm

Luxurious wrote:This will show how nerdy I am, but I really like any book by Ayn Rand. "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" are two of the best books I've ever read.

Ayn Rand is probably only good reading if your from Provo. :wink:

Luxurious · Post by **Luxurious** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:05 pm

Kugelblitz22 wrote:
Luxurious wrote:This will show how nerdy I am, but I really like any book by Ayn Rand. "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" are two of the best books I've ever read.

Ayn Rand is probably only good reading if your from Provo.

Well, I'm from Southern California and that's where I first read those two books so.... does that make a difference?

Kugelblitz22 · Post by **Kugelblitz22** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:34 pm

Hmm...

Ok, Ayn Rand is only good reading if you are from Provo or Southern California.

I only read We The Living. It sucked. The writing sucked. The message is...

Luxurious · Post by **Luxurious** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:40 pm

We'll just have to agree to disagree, Kugel.

Kugelblitz22 · Post by **Kugelblitz22** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 2:53 pm

You mean your not going to let me drag you into a trashy, pointless political debate? Ow well...
So do you go to Brigham Young? I have been there a few times. It's nice.

btownmeggy · Post by **btownmeggy** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 4:08 pm

Kugelblitz22 wrote:Ok, Ayn Rand is only good reading if you are from Provo or Southern California.

So astute!

flashleg8 · Post by **flashleg8** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 9:38 pm

Guilty_Biscuit wrote:Just finish reading The Trial by Franz Kaftka. Not great, one to avoid unless you are really bored. I mean it's not even finished.

This is on my list of books to read, I've always heard it was good. Should I strike it off? A second opinion anyone?

Oh and I just read Slaughter House 5 again in memory of Kurt Vonnegut who died recently. If you’ve not read it I would heartily recommend it.

MR. Nate · Post by **MR. Nate** » Thu Apr 19, 2007 10:37 pm

flashleg8 wrote:Oh and I just read Slaughter House 5 again in memory of Kurt Vonnegut who died recently. If you’ve not read it I would heartily recommend it.

One of the most enjoyable books I ever read. Went cover to cover on one flight.

heavycola · Post by **heavycola** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 3:03 am

MR. Nate wrote:
flashleg8 wrote:Oh and I just read Slaughter House 5 again in memory of Kurt Vonnegut who died recently. If you’ve not read it I would heartily recommend it.

One of the most enjoyable books I ever read. Went cover to cover on one flight.

LISTEN: Billy Pilgrim has come unstuck in time...

Tommy Hobbes · Post by **Tommy Hobbes** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 3:11 am

Kurt Vonnegut, great writer, RIP. But we have to accept that a lot of his writing isn't wonderful. Slaughterhouse 5, Man without a country, Cat's Cradle, all fantastic. Slapstick, Galapagos, really, really bad. Sorry.

I like Faulkner's A Light In August. And Jared Diamond. And if you're a violent atheist or a thick-skinned faithhead, Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion. If you want light funny reading, Terry Pratchett is awesome. Once and Future King is awesome, in or out of a class. Life of Pi, Kiterunner.

Neutrino · Post by **Neutrino** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 3:50 am

Dmunster wrote:SciFi:

1. Revelation Space - Alistair Reynolds: Awesome space opera written by a theoretical physicist so all the new tech is plausible. Its more of a setting than a series as some of the books in this series are not tied to the main story. The fourth book of the main story is due out this year.

Probably my favourite author, though id say Pushing Ice or Galactic North is slightly better.
Fourth Book, what fourth book? Hes already released 6 in that universe (Revelation Space, Redemption Ark, Chasm City, Absolution Gap, Diamond Dogs, Toquoise Days and Galactic North)

Dmunster wrote:2. Dan Simmons - Hyperion: Another awesome space opera. Well written with alot of plausible ideas for our future. More character driven than Revelation, less idea/new tech driven.

I think this one is quite good too, but I think the ending of the series goes a bit awry with the entire love is the basis of the universe thing.

Dmunster wrote:3. Greg Bear - Darwins Radio: Really anything by Greg Bear is worth reading. This is my personal fav of his though. Deals with human evolution in th enear future and distant past. 2 books in the series so far but the door is left open for a third. Optioned by Time-Warner for film rights.

Totally agree.

I would alo like to add that most of the earlier and middle books by Stephen Baxter are quite good, if you like stories about similar alternate realities (not as cheesy as it sounds), but the later ones seem to be going a bit odd.

heavycola · Post by **heavycola** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 4:51 am

Tommy Hobbes wrote:Kurt Vonnegut, great writer, RIP. But we have to accept that a lot of his writing isn't wonderful. Slaughterhouse 5, Man without a country, Cat's Cradle, all fantastic. Slapstick, Galapagos, really, really bad. Sorry.

I like Faulkner's A Light In August. And Jared Diamond. And if you're a violent atheist or a thick-skinned faithhead, Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion. If you want light funny reading, Terry Pratchett is awesome. Once and Future King is awesome, in or out of a class. Life of Pi, Kiterunner.

I LOVED slapstick. it was his autobiography, he said, or as close as he would come to writing one, which makes it even better.

Jared Diamond is fantastic. Dawkins makes great arguments but he doesn't do himself, or atheism in general, any favours with his tone.

lduke1990 · Post by **lduke1990** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 10:28 pm

Ann Mcaffy's many Pern series are good aswell

btownmeggy · Post by **btownmeggy** » Wed Apr 25, 2007 11:23 pm

lduke1990 wrote:Ann Mcaffy's many Pern series are good aswell

I really used to love these books. I loved the combination of SciFi and Fantasy. I hear a movie is coming out... sometime.

Jenos Ridan · Post by **Jenos Ridan** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:04 pm

Any Clive Cussler or John Ringo fans here? I recomend Pacific Vortex and Ghost respectively.

lduke1990 · Post by **lduke1990** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:41 am

cussler is pretty good, they didn't f*ck up Sahara? (can't remember the name of the movie, but that is pretty close, I think) too badly (adapted from one of his Pitt novels)

genius6 · Post by **genius6** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:45 am

lduke1990 wrote:cussler is pretty good, they didn't f*ck up Sahara? (can't remember the name of the movie, but that is pretty close, I think) too badly (adapted from one of his Pitt novels)

I'm a big fan of Orson Scott Card. He's one of the best in the business at crafting really deep, realistic, interesting characters. My favorites are Ender's Game and the Homecoming series. Speaker for the Dead is also excellent.

lduke1990 · Post by **lduke1990** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:48 am

Children of the Mind

genius6 · Post by **genius6** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:49 am

lduke1990 wrote:Children of the Mind

Also quite good. In fact, the whole series is good. And the Bean series. And everything I've read by him. Like his short fiction.

lduke1990 · Post by **lduke1990** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:52 am

never read his shorter stuff, but Bean was quite good

genius6 · Post by **genius6** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:53 am

lduke1990 wrote:never read his shorter stuff, but Bean was quite good

I've got this thick paperback called "Maps in a Mirror" that has virtually all the short stories he's written. It's amazing. Oh, and since you like Orson Scott Card, I forgive you for liking pokemon.

lduke1990 · Post by **lduke1990** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:55 am

I grew out of it, as I said they are only for bragging rights

genius6 · Post by **genius6** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 2:57 am

lduke1990 wrote:I grew out of it, as I said they are only for bragging rights

But who would you brag to about that.... Are Pokemon big in Canada or something?